The meeting's on fire
by Alexie Barnaby
Summary: Indigo Plateau is empty and Karen thinks to have fun with friends. It's just that the situation became a little bit harmful since Flint, a lighter and a flammable cloth are in the same room.


**Author's note: **I know I should have updated the other two fics that are still in progress…I promise I'll be working on that. This one that you will read is something almost plotless… don't expect anything special.

**Disclaimers:** I don't own pokèmon and don't blame Within Temptation.

**Warnings:**This will sound stupid. Too stupid.

* * *

Karen paced around her immense training room in Indigo Plateau. Lance had gone off, some troubles happened in Hoenn, or such, he would have been stuck there for something like ten days.

Will didn't lose the opportunity to book a holiday in Sunyshore with Sabrina; Koga decided to spend some days with his daughter, _classical teenage problems_, he said; and Bruno went to see the Karate competition in Cianwood City.

She was alone in that immense structure, not that she didn't like it, it was fun at the beginning, she could keep loud music and even smoke out in the garden without anyone annoying the hell out of her, yet, after few days she grew lonely.

It was on a Saturday afternoon when she decided she couldn't take it anymore.

Thinking that some of her friends could be free as well, she decided to put up a friendly meeting, nothing too pretentious, she didn't have time to plan a good party.

Karen picked up the phone and dialed Sidney's number. The other elite answered after few rings

/"Hey sis! What's goin' on there? Yesterday, either I was drunk or I had a vision, but I swear I saw your boss flying 'round here!"/

"Yes, it may be Lance, he isn't in here for now. Tell me, do you have plans for tomorrow afternoon?"

The other elite hesitated for a moment /"No, I haven't been asking any days out lately, Wallace'd let me out! Do you still have some of your _magic clouds_ in your room?"/

"You can bet on it!"

/"Well, I'll try to steal some wine from the kitchen"/ his voice lowered in a whisper /"Drake's brother brought it from Unova, it's delicious, expensive…and _a bomb_!"/

"Great, just don't put yourself in troubles…"

/"Nahhh! My name's Sidney, the one who can steal your underpants without you to notice! Just at what time are we meeting?"/

"Time's a number idiot, just give me a shout as soon as you're outta here!"

Sidney squeaked something and closed the call.

One was gone, now she needed at least two or three more people. Just that neither Sabrina nor Will were disposable, what a bummer! She laid back on the stuffed velvet couch, scrolling down numbers on her phone "Clair…for nothing in this world! She's a spy. Time five minutes and the party would be ruined by a delirious and screaming Lance coming inside! Stupid kid."

She ignored Elesa, like hell an anorexic self proclaimed _queen of models_ with superiority complexes would have gotten in!

Falkner, neither to be mentioned "Why the fuck do I even have his number? Oh, right, that time Will's pokègear was out and he needed to call him!" she deleted the contact in that moment "Flannery…maybe as a second or third choice…Flint! This is perfect!"

As she expected, the wait was long and she needed to dial the number a second time. There was still some music on the background

/"Ehy! It's been a while, what happened to you?"/

"I'll tell you sometime. Listen, I'm planning a _party,_ something among friends, nothing too extreme, do you think you're coming?"

/"Sure, I'll bring something to eat…I guess we're gonna be very hungry by the end of the day!"/ he chuckled "Right. So see you tomorrow afternoon?"

/"You can count on me! Listen…may I bring a friend as well?"/

"Who?"

/"Oh, you know him!"/

She froze for a little "Aren't you talking about Lucian perhaps? If it is so pretend I said nothing about the party!"

/"You jerk! Can I drag a boring man like him with me? It's the guy that broke your ass in four"/

"Aaron the one with a Drapion?"

/"You got it right"/

"Well…I don't really mind, so why not? This was such a quite ago"

/"Perfect, see ya tomorrow _Weed Lady_"/

"Fuck you"

She sighed content, at least there were two number less to call.

"Well, well, well..let's check out the rest of them….Green Oak…nah, he grew too serious since he became a gym leader. Grimsley, neither to mention. Misty, Morty….I'll end up begging for Lucian!"

After checking her contacts two more times, she ended up calling Flannery, who, as she expected, politely turned the invitation down "Fine then. Few but good"

*xXxXx*

Sidney was the first to arrive, Karen had already prepared everything, not that there was so much to do, but she already did it.

"So, who's coming?" asked the boy sitting on the couch

"Flint and the newbie Aaron"

"Ah, yes. The newbie that defeated you" his laugh was stopped by a pillow on the head "That was fate, clear? And I'd be glad if this matter will not rise up during my party, right?"

"Fine…"

Karen was looking at her friend as requesting something, Sidney blinked, what was it now? Just when he put his pack down, he recalled about the bottles he put inside before "Yeah. I almost forgot, look here!"

He pulled out three different bottles "You're crazy! Three! When Drake will come to know it, you're dead!"

"No, he wouldn't know that. See, casually yesterday a Taillow entered the kitchen and broke few things…with three bottles of wine among them" he put his knowing grin on

"You are a devil sometimes, you know that? Well, do you wanna put it in the fridge? I don't like warm wine…"

While Karen moved to the kitchen to put the bottles to cool, Flint's voice echoed clear through the thick walls "Ehlàà! Is anybody here? I got gummy TeddIhursa here, repeat : G-U-M-M-Y T-E-D—"

Sidney was infallible at throwing objects "Hey, _guitar hero_! That hurts!" protested Flint rubbing at the hit part, Araron poked out behind him laughing cheerfully "You got what you deserved, also my poor ears hurts when you're screaming!"

The two put four heavy plastic bags on the coffee table "Jeez guys!" exclaimed Sidney sitting up "Have you emptied the entire Veilstone City department?"

"Not properly, one of these just contains candies from Herthome" affirmed Aaron, glaring at the afro beside him.

"Yes, whenever he smokes, his chemical hunger mainly consists in candies…by the way, my name is Sidney, Hoenn's Elite Four, I train dark types just like Karen" Aaron shook his hand "Aaron, Bug type elite in Sinnoh"

Karen came out from the kitchen holding a pile of CDs "Guys, I need a hand, there are some PS2 games on the kitchen table, cards and glasses, could you take them please?"

The three boys did as asked.

While Karen was preparing something to smoke, Aaron scanned the music available "What should I put on?"

Sidney was behind him in a minute, after glancing at the disposable titles, the dark master sighed "Whatever you want, this stuff is all the same to me"

"Why do you always have to make a mess out of nothing for music? If you don't like Gothic Metal why didn't you just bring some CDs of yours?"

"Sorry, sorry!"

"So?" asked Aaron impatiently

"Put _Within Temptation_ on, at least they don't complain so much"

Flint came with a bottle of red wine in his hands "Can I pop the cork?"

"Do as your please" answered Karen, now intently staring at Aaron and Sidney playing some fight game for the PS.

Flint filled the glasses, everyone rose them for a cheer.

"Shit, this is a nuclear bomb!" exclaimed Sidney, voice hoarse

"Yes, but it's fuckin' good. The last time I drank wine it tasted like vinegar" Protested Flint

"Are you talking about the white one we opened for Bertha's birthday?"

"Yes"

"Pff…at least the bottle must have had the double of her years!" everyone exploded in a laugh, knowing how elder people are profoundly attached to their traditions.

Karen passed her joint to Aaron "So, you're not having hell of a good time either in Sinnoh for what I heard"

"Actually Cynthia doesn't pay much attention to us, it's not like the…" Aaron quirked a bow thinking "…_nazi something_…you have here. Bertha isn't a pain in the ass neither, just eat what she cooks and you'll stay easy she won't come at you screaming. Lucian! He is the real pain! I can't believe he and Will are brothers!"

"Shut up that every time he finds you with something it's always my fault! Just because you look so childish and stuff, he's nice and speaks to you, instead I, poor asshole, have to listen to all his lectures! Thinking that I haven't touched a drink for something like six months, and I started again because of _you_!"

He pointed an accusing finger towards the bug master "Me?" even though the whole conversation looked like an argument they were all laughing "Yes you! The first day that you and your friend came, I was in the kitchen watching the X-Faxctor, and he came in asking _are you coming with us? I need something to drink!"_

"He was right, shit! You were watching the _X-Factor_! Aren't you ashamed a little?" Joked Sidney refilling his glass

"Not that there was anything different to see…anyway, we went in Hearthome City, the other…how the hell is he called …"

"Bugsy"

"Yeah, that. He didn't touch even a drop of water, and making him drink alone felt so rude, that I decided to keep him company, just in case... when we got back in the morning, Lucian was already awake, and before he asked him all worried where he was been and if he was alright, then my turn came…he looked at me" Flint stood up "his classical _pole in the ass _position…" then he held his index finger up "And he barked: _You careless man! You bring people to ruin, don't you understand this?_ I felt so dead inside…"

Karen patted his head "You poor thing, everyone always gets mad at you"

"Talking about poles…" Sidney gathered the lighter from the coffee table and lit the joint that turned off while they were speaking "..Steven Stone made something like a one hour conversation with the light pole outside Brawley's home"

Everyone laughed "Will would pay billions to have a video!"

"Not that it takes long to him to get high." Observed the afro

"Yeah, but that night Phoebe made the bastard: she corrected all his drinks with the double amount of vodka. He said it was too strong, but we told him it was just because he wasn't used to it. It was winter, and it snowed that time, but after something like five of those drinks he was completely out. He took off his jacket and shirt, luckily me and Wallace prevented him to go further. He laid on the sofa for something like two hours, than point blankly, he got up saying he was needed a bed. We thought he was sleeping, but when me and Phoebe were coming back, we heard some voices. He was there talking to the pole"

"Bare-chest?" Aaron's eyes widened

"Yes, and it was fucking freezing…the following day he had the cool of forty Celsius degrees of fever"

Flint clapped his hands together "What a story! But didn't Wallace say anything to Phoebe?"

"He's the worst! Don't let the curls and the white outfit enchant you, that man is something!"

Karen nibbled at a chocolate doughnut, almost chocking at the new that Sidney just shared "I'd never said that!"

"Everyone has his Politoed to hide" commented Aaron.

The four then looked at each other, without speaking they already knew what to do. All the table stood up, walking towards the long red carpeted corridor "Guys, be careful, we don't have to make a mess inside, he'd grow furious" advised Karen

"Don't worry lady!" came Flint's reply, honestly, the fire master in the head of the line was what worried her the most.

They proceeded from the training area, into Lance's private room, and everyone was pretty disappointed with the view: no excess, no luxury. The room was small, and contained just the bed a wardrobe and a desk.

"Not to disappoint you ma'am, but I honestly don't think your champion is hiding anything here…there isn't even space to hide it! Look at the floor: it's linoleum!" affirmed Flint tapping with the foot on the plain floor

Aaron whirled around, grabbing the edge of the grey curtain in his fingers "These must be centuries old…and look at the bed, does he sleep on without unmaking it?"

Karen shrugged "Who knows, I've never been here before. "

The bug master muffled a laugh causing Flint to jump and eye on the spot his friend was looking at.. there were spots on the brown blanket "Either he survived a violent influence or your champion is having fun with someone…." They both looked towards the girl who was still munching on the sweet, she rose her arms up in defense "Like hell! And I can assure you it's none of us here. I think Will knows something about, he's a first class busybody…"

"Hey, dudes! Look here!"

Sidney called from behind the wardrobe, the small crowd moved in direction of the voice and found a cape hung on a mannequin "Stay away from it! He could go all the way mad if we ruin it just a little. It doesn't look like his usual cape, then it must be a particularly expensive one."

"Sure the cloth is strange" affirmed Aaron looking a little closer

"Wallace buys his in cheap stores"

Karen cupped her hand to lit another joint, in that moment, Flint made a step back and the lighter with the flame still on, fell on the cape that went on fire "Shit! Shit! Shit!" screamed Sidney, hurrying to cover the flames with his coat. Luckily the flames were sedate, but the cape was all ruined, if it could still be considered a cape.

"You…" The venom in the girl's voice was obvious, she encircled her hands around the poor Flint's neck "It's impossible that something is on fire whenever you are around!"

Sidney jumped in the middle trying to keep his friends apart "Come on guys there must be a solution that doesn't involve killing!"

"Yeah, he said Wallace buys capes at cheap stores we can go and buy a new one without Lance knowing it!"

Flint tried his hardest to find a solution

"Impossible, this material is weird, he will notice at once" commented Aaron holding what was left of the poor cape

"We can always ask Fantina to do something, she's good at masking stuff like this, she works in theaters, you know half of her dresses seems so expensive when they are just rubbish covered with glitters"

Karen slid down on the floor, holding her head with hands "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

"Come on, Flint is right, we can buy a cheap one and let Fantina fix it" Sidney tried to console her.

"Yeah, leave it to us!" the Bug master smiled confidently.

"Fine, I just hope it will work…"

*xXxXx*

The following two days were all a run from left to right, Sidney literally kidnapped Wallace and forced him to travel around Hoenn to find a cape similar to Lance's "Why the hell do you need a cape like Lance's?"

"I like that, and it's perfect for my concerts, but I don't wanna spend a mountain of money on it, because knowing myself, it's gonna tear soon!"

"You're weird"

The stopped in Forretree City, upon one of those small houses, there was an old woman who sold clothes and similar. The store was untidy, and probably unclean "And you're not afraid of showing yourself doing shopping here, Wal? I mean, yeah, this is a store that could fit me or Brawley, but you…"

Wallace arched a brow "Problems?"

"No. it's just weird"

"So it's your hair"

*xXxXx*

Once the cape arrived in Sinnoh, Aaron brought it to Fantina.

The violet haired woman rose the stuff up "What am I supposed to do with this?"

Aaron pulled out a picture of Lance wearing his cape, handing her the rest of the old one as well "This will have to look like… if not be identical… to this one, can you do it?"

The woman stared at the picture and then pulled the cape into her hands "Mmm…" she gave a quick glance to the purple wall clock "Just give me two hours, oui?"

"Ou—ehm yes!" stupid French words "How much will it cost?"

"Is it something Flint did?"

"Yeah..how did you guess it?" he was ironical

"Fire" was the simple reply, then she put down some numbers on a little piece of paper; Aaron looked down and nodded, it was so far more cheaper than making an original one.

"You know, Lance's going to find it out in no time, for me it's better you just tell him the truth"

The bug master passed a hand through his hair "I'm doing it just for Karen's sake, she thinks this way is the better one. Well her job, her problems"

*xXxXx*

The Jotho Elite Four were around the kitchen table, listening to Will's travel tale, it seemed like he tried to cheer the local depressed Gym Leader up, and risked to be stricken from a powerful thunderbolt sent by his Raichou.

"…obviously people don't go and challenge him! He's caustic! Worse than a pregnant woman!"

Karen wasn't paying attention to the story, she was too worried. It had been something like forty minutes since Lance entered his room, she was sure the champion was studying an evil plan to rip her throat off.

Her heart stopped when the dragon tamer appeared holding her cape with the thumb and the index finger, like it was some kind of dirty cloth, he got closer to the trash bin and threw it away.

Her jaw dropped: he found out! He found out!

"Lance, why did you throw it away? Your cape!" she asked, her voice failing. Lance stared at her curiously "My cape? That is not my cape…"

Now was useless to hide it anymore, the dark master jumped up from her chair, kneeling down in front of him, screaming and complaining "It was all Flint's fault! He didn't look at where he was going, the lighter just fell and it burned! We asked Fantina to make you a similar one, but it wasn't enough…please don't fire me!"

The room fell silent "Karen…"

"Yes, yes! I know, I will buy you a new one doesn't matter how much it will cost! I'll pay! Please don't send me away, I love being an Elite too much!"

"Karen…"

"I'll stop with the parties and such, just please don't send me away! I had no intention on harming your poor cape!"

"Karen!"

She tentatively looked up "That wasn't my cape. It was the cloth I used for Grachomp when we went to train up in Mount Silver. It was there just to dry"

She put on an unusual smile "Well, pretend I said nothing then…I'm sorry…is that it looked a cloth so expensive…"

"It was nylon and cotton"

"Oh…yeah…friends like before?" she offered him a hand, he helped her to stand up "Friends like before"

She gave a sigh of relief as the champion turned to leave.

Karen sat down, starting to relax when Lance suddenly appeared back "Hey, Karen, I almost forgot: as you like exploring places different from your room, and where people usually aren't supposed to be…the sewer on the east wing is clogged…maybe you can do something about with it!"


End file.
